European allies to push for more military spending for Kyiv

Kyiv’s allies sought to bolster Ukraine’s defense, pledging military backing ahead of talks with US President Donald Trump.

Britain and France are today jointly hosting a meeting of European powers in Paris intended to “cement further military contributions” to help Ukraine fight Russia, the UK’s defense secretary said.

Yet challenges abound. The region’s leaders are “unwilling to turn platitudes into actual pledges,” the Financial Times said, adding that Trump — who will speak with Ukraine’s leader today — must support any European plan for it to be viable.

One of today’s co-hosts, France, has been unable to pass its own budget, let alone corral a continent into boosting its defense spending. All the while, Russia is intensifying its battlefield offensive.